AIMPLB member Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali said on Saturday that the hype created on the triple talaq issue is part of a conspiracy and the divorce rate among Muslims is very low — 0.5% — when compared to other religions.

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Lucknow: All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali said on Saturday that the hype created on the triple talaq issue is part of a conspiracy and the divorce rate among Muslims is very low — 0.5% — when compared to other religions.

“As per the 2011 Census, the divorce rate in Muslims at 0.5% is very low compared to other religions where the divorce rate is as high as 3.7%. The hype these days over triple talaq is a part of a conspiracy,” said Mahali, who is the Shahi Imam of Aishbagh Eidgah in Lucknow.

He said Islam treats men and women equally and in some cases women have more rights than men.

The Sunni cleric also said no one has the right to interfere in the Shariat laws and the signatures of 2.5 crore women submitted to AIMPLB is a clear sign that nobody wants a change in the Muslim personal laws.

“Islam is the only religion in the world that gives women the right to nikah, talaq and inheritance and it is completely wrong to say that Muslim women want any kind of change in the personal laws,” he said.

Asked what should women do if divorce is the only resort left to them, Mahali said the AIMPLB has constituted a wing where Muslim women can raise their grievances.

A two-day executive meeting of the AIMPLB begins in Lucknow on Saturday to discuss issues such as triple talaq and Ayodhya dispute.